Kell Brook can be a three weight division king

Sheffield’s Kell Brook can come back from his latest injury disappointment and become a three-weight world champion.

That’s the view of gym-mate Barry Awad, who knows a thing or two about tackling adversity. Awad is currently half-way through a two year ban after unknowingly taking a steroid.

He continues to be a twice-daily trainer at the Ingle gym, where he keeps an eye on world champion Kell Brook, whose October 24 match with Diego Chaves was postponed after Brook suffered a rib injury in sparring. “I was there when he sustained the injury. I took a (video) clip of it and watching it back it was a good shot. Kell boxed another eight rounds after that.”

Some rumour mongerers have criticised Brook for pulling out of the fight, but Awad gives a new perspective on that. “He didn’t want to pull out, I can tell you that for definite” he said. “He had to go to hospital and didn’t want to tell Dom (Ingle, trainer) what they’d said there about his rib. Kell wanted to fight on, but he was told by Dom it wasn’t going to happen. Dom was doing his job - he wasn’t going to take any risks with Kell’s health and future.”

Awad said the IBF world title holder was not the type to duck any sort of challenge but hd to be completely fit to take on such a high calibre opponent.

“Chaves is dangerous - he was beating Brandon Rios when he got disqualified. I thought he’d beaten Timothy Bradley but they gave it a draw and was beating Keith Thurman when he got stopped. But Kell was in fantastic shape and was ready to go out there and win.

“He will come back stronger from this - boxing can be like an obstacle course, you just have to get round the things that come in front of you. Kell will become known as the biggest punching welterweight in the world. I can see him going up to light middleweight and middleweight. I can honestly see him becoming a three-weight world champion.”